KARACHI: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar, on Saturday strongly criticised the PPP-led Sindh government over failure to provide security to newly inaugurated Karachi’s Green Line BRT service.
Stones have been pelted at the newly-inaugurated Green Line bus service in Karachi at multiple points between Surjani and Numaish areas of the city.
According to sources, side glasses and window panes of the buses running on the green line track were damaged in the stone-pelting incidents.
The stones were pelted from the pedestrian bridge and damaged the infrastructure of buses,” they said adding that however no passenger was hurt in the incidents.
Reacting to the incident, the federal minister slammed the Sindh government for not providing security to Karachi’s first modern transport system. “Federal had launched the project and now it is the responsibility of provincial government to provide security to bus service,” he added.
“Do they want that Army to be deployed for the security of bus service,” Asad Umar said while taking a jibe at Sindh government. The minister urged the Sindh government to immediately arrest the culprits behind the bus service attack in order to avoid such incidents in future.
Talking to a private TV channel, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail also condemned the attack on bus service and asked the Sindh government to immediately arrest the culprits.
Imran Ismail further said that he had also asked DG Rangers for patrolling of Rangers personnel at Karachi’s Green Line BRT stations.
It is pertinent to mention here that the incidents have raised serious questions on the security being provided to the project which is claimed to be guarded with 900 CCTV cameras and 250 security personnel.
The Green Line bus service had become fully operational from Jan 10, with 80 buses covering a track of 21 kilometers from 6 in the morning till 10 at night. 22 bus stations have also been completed.
